Paspaley
Encyclopedia
Paspaley is the largest pearling
company in Australia
. It started operations in the 1930s and is based in Darwin, Northern Territory
, Australia. It has about 20 farms, situated between Dampier, Western Australia
and the Cobourg Peninsula
east of Darwin.
. His father, Theodosis Paspalis brought his family to Australia in 1919 and decided to settle at their ship's first port of call, Cossack
on the Indian Ocean
coast of Western Australia
.
The Paspalis family were among a few Europeans living in the area with the traditional Aboriginal inhabitants and Asian pearl fishermen. Pearling was one of the few viable industries in the area, and although Theodosis died in 1924, his sons Michael and Nicholas and his daughter Mary continued their father's interest in pearling. Nicholas learnt the trade at 14 years of age and by 1932, he was at the helm of his own pearling lugger, diving for shell that fulfilled most of the global demand for button making. Michael Paspalis worked as a pearl lugger for many years in Port Hedland
. The Paspalis family realised that Port Hedland was becoming less profitable since all the pearl fields in the region had been exhausted and decided to move further north to Broome
, where they established their business. Nicholas Paspalis changed the family name to Paspaley.
After World War II
, the mother-of-pearl shell industry boomed as unprecedented demand ensured record prices right through to the mid 1950s. Nicholas bought four luggers which were abandoned by the Royal Australian Navy
on Darwin's Dinah Beach and began pearling out of Darwin
. However, the invention of the plastic button reduced demand for mother-of-pearl shell, the industry was virtually decimated overnight and fleets of pearling luggers were abandoned on beaches along the coastline.
Today, the business interests of Paspaley extend beyond pearling to retail, aviation and marine engineering and farming interests. Ironically, despite the family's immigrant roots, Paspaley are also majority stakeholders in the Wickham Point Development, Australia's largest immigration detention centre
in Darwin . The company is run today by his son Nicholas Paspaley Executive Chairman and daughter Roselyn. His other daughter Marilynne Paspaley
is an actress.
Pearl hunting
Pearl hunting or pearl diving refers to a largely obsolete method of retrieving pearls from pearl oysters, freshwater pearl mussels and, on rare occasions, other nacre-producing molluscs, such as abalone.-History:...
company in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It started operations in the 1930s and is based in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Australia. It has about 20 farms, situated between Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
and the Cobourg Peninsula
Cobourg Peninsula
The Cobourg Peninsula is located 350 kilometres east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is deeply indented with coves and bays, covers a land area of about 2,100 km², and is virtually uninhabited with a population ranging from about 20 to 30 in five family outstations, but...
east of Darwin.
History
Nicholas Paspaley Senior MBE (1914–1984) fled the Greek island of Castellorizo with his family during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. His father, Theodosis Paspalis brought his family to Australia in 1919 and decided to settle at their ship's first port of call, Cossack
Cossack, Western Australia
Cossack is an historic ghost town located 1,480 km north of Perth and 15 km from Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The nearest town to Cossack is Wickham. At the 2006 census, Cossack had a population of 236....
on the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The Paspalis family were among a few Europeans living in the area with the traditional Aboriginal inhabitants and Asian pearl fishermen. Pearling was one of the few viable industries in the area, and although Theodosis died in 1924, his sons Michael and Nicholas and his daughter Mary continued their father's interest in pearling. Nicholas learnt the trade at 14 years of age and by 1932, he was at the helm of his own pearling lugger, diving for shell that fulfilled most of the global demand for button making. Michael Paspalis worked as a pearl lugger for many years in Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
. The Paspalis family realised that Port Hedland was becoming less profitable since all the pearl fields in the region had been exhausted and decided to move further north to Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
, where they established their business. Nicholas Paspalis changed the family name to Paspaley.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the mother-of-pearl shell industry boomed as unprecedented demand ensured record prices right through to the mid 1950s. Nicholas bought four luggers which were abandoned by the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
on Darwin's Dinah Beach and began pearling out of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. However, the invention of the plastic button reduced demand for mother-of-pearl shell, the industry was virtually decimated overnight and fleets of pearling luggers were abandoned on beaches along the coastline.
Today, the business interests of Paspaley extend beyond pearling to retail, aviation and marine engineering and farming interests. Ironically, despite the family's immigrant roots, Paspaley are also majority stakeholders in the Wickham Point Development, Australia's largest immigration detention centre
Mandatory detention in Australia
Mandatory detention in Australia concerns the Australian federal government's policy and system of mandatory immigration detention active from 1992 to date, pursuant to which all persons entering the country without a valid visa are compulsorily detained and sometimes subject to deportation.In the...
in Darwin . The company is run today by his son Nicholas Paspaley Executive Chairman and daughter Roselyn. His other daughter Marilynne Paspaley
Marilynne Paspaley
Marilynne Paspaley is an Australian film and television actress and businesswoman who is best known for her role in the television series G. P. as Dr. Tessa Korkidas. She appeared in the movie Evil Angels and other television series such as Water Rats.-Family:Paspaley is the daughter of Nicholas...
is an actress.